Rail brace



RAIL BRACE Filed April 24, 1935 a sheets-sheet 1 'Dec- 1937. R.GILLISPIE 2,101,313

RAIL BRACE Filed April 24, 1935 SSheets-Sheet 2 1937. R. GILLISPIEv2,301,313

RAIL BRACE Filed April 24, 1955 5 Shee ts-Sheet s gwwnkm 1?. L. Gillievia;

Patented Dec. 7, 193'? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL BRACEPennsylvania Application April 24,

14 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in rail brace structures.

One object of my invention is to provide rail brace structures which areeasily assembled and which will absorb vibrations transmitted to therails and thereby eliminate the vibrations being transmitted to thesupporting elements of the track structure.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rail brace structurewhich will compensate for variations in the rails and tie plates withwhich they are assembled.

A further object of my invention is to provide a rail brace structurewith a spring wedge of such shape and construction so as to provide aresilient connection intermediate the rail and the rail brace when therail brace structure is in its assembled condition.

The novel features of my invention will be more fully understood fromthe following description and claims taken with the accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of members of a railwaytrack structure embodying one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the structure taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form ofmy invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Figs. 6 and '7 are views of members of a track structure embodyinganother modification of my invention, Fig. '7 being a side elevation ofthe structure and Fig. 6 a sectional view taken on line 15-43 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 8 and 9 are views of members of a track structure embodying stillanother modification of my invention, Fig. 9 being a side elevation ofthe structure and Fig. 8 being a sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig.9.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive,thereof, l4 designates a plate having a depressed portion l5 extendingacross the plate upon which a rail I6 is mounted, said depressed portionproviding shoulders I! and !8 to limit the lateral movement of the railrelative to the plate M.

The plate I4 is shown provided with an aperture l9. Abrace 20, having aprojection 2| which extends into the aperture I9, is mounted on theupper surface of the plate 14 and is preferably welded to the uppersurface of the plate and also 1935, Serial No. 17,998

to the plate adjacent the aperture I9 by means of the projection 2|. Thelower portion of the face of the brace 20 is stepped back at 23 andprovides an overhanging shoulder 24. The faces 48 and 49 of the brace 20are formed so that they will bedisposed at an angle to the longitudinalaxis of the web of the rail when the rail is in its assembled positionon the plate l5 and the face 50 will lie in sloping relation with thebase of the rail. Interposed between the rail I6 and the brace 20 shownin Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, is the spring wedge 25 and interposedbetween the rail [6 and the brace 20 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is thespring wedge member 26. A dog or pawl 21 is pivotally mounted on thebrace 20. The outer face of each of these wedge members is provided withdepressions 28 one of which receives the pawl 27 when the wedge is inits assembled position, so as to retain the wedge against displacementin service. The wedge members 25 and 26 cooperate with the braces 20 toresiliently retain the rails 16 in their assembled relation with theplate l4.

The Wedge 25 shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, comprises the railengaging member 29 and the brace engaging member 30. These two membersare shown connected adjacent their ends by members 35 and 36,respectively, which are provided intermediate the members 29 and 3H andwelded thereto so that the portions of these members intermediate theirends are in spaced relation, thus forming a slot 31 which extends fromthe top of the wedge downwardly and then outwardly to the outer edge ofthe wedge. The wedge 25 is provided with faces 5!, 52 and 53 whichengage the faces 48, 49 and. 50 respectively of the brace 20 when themembers are in their assembled condition.

The wedge 26 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 comprises the rail engaging member4| and the brace engaging member 42. These two members are shownconnected adjacent their ends by members 45 and 46, respectively, whichare provided intermediate the members 4| and 42 and welded thereto sothat the portions of these members intermediate their ends are in spacedrelation, thus forming a slot 41 which extends from the upper surface ofthe wedge diagonally downwardly to the bottom of the wedge as plainlyshown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The wedge 26 is provided with faces 54,55 and 56 which engage the faces 48, 49 and 50 respectively of the railbrace.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the rail I6 is assembled with theswitch plate M by placing the rail thereon intermediate the shoulder l 1and I8 and inserting the small end of the wedge 25 or the small end ofthe wedge 26 between the web of the rail and the brace 26 and forcingthe wedge inwardly until the rail is brought into firm engagement withthe shoulder I8 and the faces 52 and 53 of the wedge 25 are inengagement with the faces 48, 49 and 50 of the brace 20 or if the wedge26 is used the faces 54, 55 and 56 are in engagement with the faces 48,49, and 50 of the brace 20. The pawl 21' is then rotated into the recessI9 which is in line therewith, or if a recess is not in alignment withthe pawl, the wedge due to the slot therein can be easily forcedsufficiently further to bring the next recess opposite the pawl so thatthe pawl may enter therein and thus lock the wedge in its assembledposition.

When excessive shock is transmitted to the side of the head of the railopposite the brace 20 due to the passing of a train over the rail thewedge members being resilient will flex and absorb such shoclgs andthereby eliminate such shocks from being transmitted to the supportingelements of the track structure.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 I show a switch plate 51 having a pairof rail brace members 58 and 59, respectively, having faces 60, 6| and62, which are engaged by the faces of the wedge 63 shown in Figs. 6 and7 and the faces of the wedge 64 shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The wedge 63shown in Figs. 6 and '7 is provided at each end with a slot which isshown in Fig. 6 as extending diagonally through the wedge. The slot 65extends from the upper corner adjacent the rail diagonally of the wedgeto the lower outer corner thereof, while the slot 66 extends from theupper outer corner of the wedge to the lower inner corner of the Wedge.The wedge shown in Figs. 8 and 9 has a vertical slot 61 in one end whichextends from the upper surface of the wedge to its lower edge in a planesubstantially parallel to the vertical axis of the web of the rail andslot 68 in the other end which extends substantially at right angles tothe slot 61. A pawl 69 is provided to enter one of the recesses providedin the wedge 63 or the recesses 'II provided in the wedge 64 to retainthe wedges in their assembled relation with the rail.

The assembly of the structure shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive are madein the same manner as the assemblies shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusiveand the resilient wedges 63 and 64 function as cushioning means forabsorbing excessive shocks transmitted to the rail and in this wayprevent such shocks from being transmitted to the roadbed.

While I have shown my invention in a plurality of forms, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various other changes and modifications without departingfrom the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only suchlimitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art oras are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail supporting structure comprising a plate for supporting a rail,a bracing member located upon said plate, a shoulder on said plate and aresilient wedge shaped member having a slot intermediate its endsadiustably mounted intermediate the bracing member and the rail to forcethe rail against said shoulder during assembly and to resiliently bracesaid rail in service and means closing the slot at each end of thewedge.

2. A rail brace structure comprising a plate supporting the rail, meanson said plate to retain the rail against lateral displacement in onedirection, a rail brace connected to said plate and a substantiallysolid spring wedge shaped member intermediate the brace and the rail toretain the rail against displacement in the opposite direction, saidwedge shaped member having a slot therein to permit limited movement ofthe rail engaging portion relative to the rail brace engaging portion.

3. A rail brace structure comprising a plate supporting the rail, meanson said plate to retain the rail against lateral displacement in onedirection, a rail brace connected to said plate, and a substantiallysolid spring wedge shaped member disposed intermediate said brace andthe rail, said wedge member comprising a substantially rigid portionengaging the rail and a yieldable portion engaging the rail brace, saidportions being connected at each end thereof and being in spacedrelation intermediate their ends.

4. An adjustable rail brace comprising a plate upon which the railrests, a bracing member seated on and secured to said plate, saidbracing element having a pair of faces inclined with respect to thelongitudinal axis of a rail placed on the aforesaid plate lying indifferent vertical planes and a resilient wedge shaped member having aface engaging the web of said rail and the faces of said bracing member.

5. An adjustable rail brace comprising a plate upon which the railrests, a bracing member seated on and secured to said plate, saidbracing element comprising inclined faces and a resilient wedge shapedmember interposed between the web of the rail and said inclined faces ofthe bracing element, said wedge shaped member having a yieldable portionengaging the bracing element disposed in spaced relation to the portionengaging the rail, whereby either of said portions may moveindependently of the other portion.

6. An adjustable rail brace comprising a plate upon which the railrests, a bracing member seated on and secured to said plate, saidbracing element comprising inclined faces and a resilient wedge shapedmember having a slot therein to ermit independent movement of thedifferent portions of said Wedge member interposed between the web ofthe rail and said inclined faces of the bracing element, said slotterminating short of each end of the wedge.

'7. A rail supporting structure comprising a plate supporting said rail,a shoulder on said plate for limiting the lateral movement of said rail,a rail brace located on said plate and a resilient wedge shaped memberfor engaging the web of the rail and the face of the rail brace toresiliently support said rail in its assembled position, said wedgemember having a slot intermediate its ends to provide means to permitindependent lateral movement of the different portions of the wedgemember and means at each end of the Wedge closing said slot.

8. A rail supporting structure comprising a plate supporting said rail,a shoulder on said plate for limiting the lateral movement of said rail,a rail brace located on said plate and a resilient wedge member forengaging the web of the rail and the face of the rail brace toresiliently support said rail in its assembled position, said wedgehaving slots at each end one of'said slots being angularly disposed withreference to the other slot.

9. In a rail support, a plate supporting the rail, a shoulder limitingthe transverse movement of the rail, a rail brace mounted on said plate,said brace having a shoulder adjacent its upper edge, and a Wedgeresiliently engaging said brace and the web of said rail, said wedgehaving a projection thereon underlying the shoulder on said brace and aslot opposite said brace, and means at each end of the wedge closingsaid slot.

10. A rail brace structure comprising a rail support, means on one sideof the rail cooperating with said support to retain the rail againstdisplacement in one direction, a rail brace on the other side of therail and a substantially solid Wedge shaped member having a longitudinalslot therein to permit independent movement of the different portions ofsaid member disposed intermediate said brace and the rail to resilientlysupport the rail against lateral displacement in the opposite direction.

11. A rail supporting structure comprising a rail base support, means onone side of the rail for limiting the lateral movement of the rail inone direction, a rail brace having a plurality of faces inclined withrespect to the longitudinal axis of the rail on the other side of saidrail and resilient means, having a plurality of inclined faces, engagingthe inclined faces of the brace and the rail for resiliently supportingthe rail against lateral displacement in the other direction, saidresilient means comprising a substantially solid member having a slotopposite the rail brace to permit the rail engaging portion and the railbrace engaging portion to move a limited distance independently of eachother.

12. A rail supporting structure comprising a rail base support, means onone side of the rail for retaining the rail against lateral displacementin one direction, a rail brace on the other side of the rail, and adistortable Wedge shaped member having a slot therein adapted to permitthe one portion of said wedge member to be distorted independently ofthe other portion of the wedge shaped member extending throughout themajor portion of its length and end closures for the slot, adapted to beinserted between the rail and the rail brace to resiliently support therail and thereby absorb lateral shocks transmitted to the rail.

13. A wedge for a rail brace structure comprising a solid substantiallyrigid member to engage the rail and a yieldable member to engage therail brace, said members being connected adjacent their ends and inspaced relation intermediate their ends.

14. A wedge for a railway track structure comprising a pair of membershaving substantially parallel adjacent faces in spaced relationintermediate their ends and means connecting said faces adjacent theirends, one of said members being substantially rigid and the other ofsaid members being yieldable.

RAYMOND L. GILLISPIE.

